If life has a purpose, it is surely found in something bigger than biology.

• The scientific theory of evolution, which explains how diverse life has been created, has been used to argue that the 'point' of life is to reproduce, passing on our genes. However, this seems to me to be some sort of fallacy. Evolution explains how diverse life has been created and how it continues, but it doesn't say anything more about the purpose of existence.

• The idea that we have any kind of ‘purpose’ is not a scientific idea and science can’t answer this question. Many nihilists believe in science alone, and yet find the world to be empty of meaning and purpose. Science cannot provide us with the answers to these bigger questions about existence.

• Even if our biology could explain our purpose, the instinct to reproduce would have to overpower all other drives and responsibilities to be reflective of our true purpose. Many people don’t feel a desire to reproduce or feel that their life would have more purpose without children, making way for other experiences or avenues to make a positive impact on the world. One 2020 YouGov poll said that as many as 37% of adult Britons who are not parents do not want children in the future. If reproduction was the purpose for existence, then a life that doesn’t create more life would be a wasted one.

• The idea that we exist to keep existing seems too circular to be a satisfactory answer to the question ‘what is the meaning of life?’ I think the answer lies beyond scientific and perhaps even philosophical understanding.

this is an archaic idea that needs to die and soon.

• this is a scary way to think. we have so much more depth than purely existing to make more people. kids are simply not for everyone and that is okay. they are not little accessories they are future grown human beings who will experience life as vividly as you. more people should consider this before having children, since many want extensions of themselves and not a proper person with thoughts and opinions. they are not the be-all end-all and actually can have a severe effect on one's mental health. we put a ridiculous amount of pressure on people, women especially, to have children even if they explicitly don't want to. it is treated as though it is an obligation and not a desire.

• this argument fails to take into account infertility, asexuality, gay couples who do not want to find other means of having kids, not wanting children in general and many more situations. the implication that not having them will make life meaningless is demonstrably false and harmful to people who wish they could but cannot. to render human life worthless due to not procreating is sickening.

• there are billions of people, furthering the human race is not an issue. essentially, people are becoming more invasive and often ask personal and sensitive questions they would soon stop asking after hearing the real reasons some people do not want to have children. it is patronising to decide someone will want to have children when they say they do not and disrespectful to assume everyone must live life how you do. everyone can determine their own purpose and sometimes kids don't fit into the agenda.

TL;DR -- I exist for far more than mere procreation.

Look, for the good of humankind, some of us legitimately do not need to procreate. Why, then, do we even exist at all? The fact that people exist who shouldn't procreate disproves this statement entirely. If our sole, scientific existence is merely to procreate, then organisms who can't or shouldn't procreate wouldn't exist.

And let me tell you, if anyone tries to tell me that my life is meaningless because I won't have children, then oooh. You don't know me very well, do you?

I exist to write. I exist to create art. I exist to be a support for others. I exist for my friends, my family, and anyone else in this life who my existence positively affects in some small way. I may not be popping babies out of my fun hole every five minutes, but I'm contributing to the world in one small way or another. In short, I exist for a reason.

I strongly disagree with reproduction however it is a basic instinct for all sentient beings. Many animals will sacrifice themselves in order to procreate. It is the fundamental purpose of life and it's quite discusting really. Why anyone would suffer through life to a point where they're able to reproduce and then think to themselves 'I know, I' ll bring more life into this world so it can suffer as I have' I'll never understand. We should be giving vasectomies and hysterectomies on demand to everyone.

We are still defined by our past
For transparency sake I chose "Agree". I chose agree because I believe there is a sort of bias encoded in all organisms, including humans, to reproduce. For most of human history, life has been extremely hard and the only way to adapt has been to reproduce since we have adapted through evolution and an essential part of evolution is reproduction. However in recent history, humans have learned to dominate nature with inventions such as antibiotics, hand-washing, artificial fertilisers and much more which allows us to change the environment without changing ourselves. Our current material prosperity has given us the opportunity to find meaning outside of biological parameters which we have not fully achieved yet. I believe that humans can find meaning outside of reproduction but we have not actualised this goal yet.